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What killed Sally Clark’s child?

Neville Hodgkinson

Wednesday, 16th May 2007

Neville Hodgkinson asks why the jury in the Sally Clark trial was told to discount the DTP jab given to her second child, Harry, just five hours before he was found dead

In fact, a disaster may already be upon us. Before 1990 the DTP vaccine was given to babies at three, five, and ten months. In 1990, despite previous safety controversies, an accelerated schedule was introduced, with injections at two, three and four months. This meant that by body weight, babies were now receiving bigger burdens of mercury and other toxins in the vaccines than previously, and at younger ages. There are concerns that this increased risk in early childhood may have contributed to a big increase in disorders linked to varying degrees of faulty brain circuitry.

According to a major national survey conducted in the UK in 2004, one in 100 children aged five to 16 had been diagnosed as suffering from autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), a range of developmental impairments affecting social and communication skills and sometimes accompanied by behavioural problems including hyperactivity and impulsiveness. Although this was a ‘snapshot’ survey that said nothing about changes over time, previous smaller studies have suggested far lower incidence.

In the US, where drug safety regulation and pharmaceutical practices often parallel those in the UK, diagnosis of autism has been based since 1994 on clear criteria outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The medical diagnosis is usually reviewed by specialists in special education, before services are provided in the different school districts. In 1994 there were 22,780 children aged six to 21 diagnosed with autism and ASD. By 2004 this number had risen to 140,972.

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